Bestselling “Star Shards Chronicles” to get animated series treatment

PanARMENIAN.Net - Gaumont has optioned global rights to “The Star Shards Chronicles”, the epic trilogy penned by New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman, and is developing it as a high-concept animated series, Variety said.

“The Star Shards Chronicles,” published by Simon & Schuster, follows the journey of six ordinary kids conceived at the same instant that a star explodes light-years away, causing them to receive extraordinary powers which they will use to save the world and defeat the mysterious sources attacking them.

“Neal’s characters have feelings and experiences that all kids can understand and this is what draws them to his books. (Shusterman) is not only the writer of these amazing stories but will be a part of the team as we work together to bring this empowering trilogy to life,” said Nicolas Atlan, the Los Angeles-based president of animation at Gaumont. “Gaumont has always pushed the boundaries of creativity in storytelling, and we will do so once again as we work closely with Neal throughout this adventure.”

Shusterman said he “always felt this series would shine in animation.”

“Gaumont’s passion for the project, as well as their reputation for innovative and powerful storytelling make them the perfect fit for The Star Shards Chronicles,” added Shusterman

Julian Stone, a long-time collaborator of Neal Shusterman, will exec produce the animated series.

Shusterman has written over 30 award-winning books which have been translated into more than 20 languages. Some of his more popular novels include “The Unwind Dystology,””The Skinjacker Trilogy,” “Downsiders” and “Challenger Deep,” which won the 2015 National Book Award.

Meanwhile, “Scythe,” the first book in his newest series “Arc of a Scythe,” was released in November and made it into The New York Times Bestsellers List for 15 weeks, peaking at the fourth slot.

A feature film adaptation of “Scythe” is currently been developed at Bluegrass Films, a Universal Studios subsid. Meanwhile, “The Unwind Dystology” is also being turned into a movie and is set up at Constantin Film.

“The Star Shards Chronicles” is one of the flurry of ambitious animated series which are currently being developed by Gaumont with the ambition to reach global audiences. Other anticipated toon series on Gaumont’s slate include “Do, Re & Mi” with Kristin Bell, as well as shows based on the 1980’s girls’ brand “Herself The Elf” and “Belle et Sebastien” which Gaumont also turned into a hit film franchise.